


Episode 1: Gems Glow

by Moondragon8



Series: Gemiverse [1]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Connie, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-16
Updated: 2019-08-03
Packaged: 2019-11-19 10:00:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18134273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moondragon8/pseuds/Moondragon8
Summary: Steven Universe, son of Rose Quartz, and Connie Maheswaran, daughter of Citrine, are best friends. Despite the fact that their guardians dislike each other, their mothers are shrouded in mystery, and they know far too little about the legacies they're bearing, they have each other, and it's fine. Because nothing can tear them apart.Right?(inspired by Connie Swap.)





	1. Pink Glow

**Author's Note:**

  * For [br42](https://archiveofourown.org/users/br42/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Connie Swap Omake Collection](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10673391) by [BinaryGeek](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BinaryGeek/pseuds/BinaryGeek), [br42](https://archiveofourown.org/users/br42/pseuds/br42), [BurdenKing](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BurdenKing/pseuds/BurdenKing), [citrusella](https://archiveofourown.org/users/citrusella/pseuds/citrusella), [CoreyWW](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoreyWW/pseuds/CoreyWW), [Cyberwraith9](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cyberwraith9/pseuds/Cyberwraith9), [Darkspirit](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darkspirit/pseuds/Darkspirit), [Japkot](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Japkot/pseuds/Japkot), [leo60228](https://archiveofourown.org/users/leo60228/pseuds/leo60228), [MjStudioArts](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MjStudioArts/pseuds/MjStudioArts), [MK_Foodshops](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MK_Foodshops/pseuds/MK_Foodshops), [SilverScribe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverScribe/pseuds/SilverScribe), [TheInvaderZim](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheInvaderZim/pseuds/TheInvaderZim), [Unwary](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unwary/pseuds/Unwary), [Wierdkid20](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wierdkid20/pseuds/Wierdkid20). 



Steven Universe half-hopped, half-ran towards the Big Donut. Glancing down at the scrap of paper in his hand, he read to himself “One chocolate glazed, one mint with rainbow sprinkles, one blueberry with white frosting drizzles, and one Cookie Cat for Steven!” 

On the last word he hopped slightly into the air with excitement, and ran the rest of the way there. 

“Sadie, m’lady, could I have-oh, Connie!” 

Upon hearing her name, the brown-haired girl in question turned around from the donut case. Her face lit up. “Steven!”

Steven and Connie hugged and exchanged delighted grins. They had known each other since birth. While Connie lived in a beach temple with Jasper, Peridot, and Lapis Lazuli, and Steven lived in a barn with Pearl, Amethyst, and Garnet, Steven and Connie were the only two human-gem hybrids known to Earth, and as such the two groups were forced to collaborate at times. Steven and Connie had become very close-it was hard not to with the only other person who knew what you were going through.  

“What are you here for?” Steven asked. 

“One mint donut, one mint donut _with sprinkles,_ and one mint donut with white drizzle,” Connie recited from memory. “Apparently mint is Lapis’s flavor of the day.”

“I’m here for donuts too!” Steven said excitedly. “And a Cookie Cat for me!” 

“Cookie Cat? Aw, sorry, Steven, but they got discontinued,” Sadie said from the counter. 

“WHAT!” Steven exclaimed. “Ohhh…..”

Connie patted him sympathetically on the back. 

“What’s the matter? Can’t you summon more with your ‘magic jewelry’?” Lars said, rolling his eyes. 

Connie and Steven looked down, Connie at her glittering yellow gemstone, and Steven at his pink one. 

“Um,” Connie said hesitantly. “That’s...not really how it works?”

“Oh sweet Cookie Cat,” Steven whispered sadly. 

Connie sighed patiently at her friend’s emotional dependency on ice cream and ordered the donuts, plus Steven’s order as well. 

Having left the donut store, the two started walking towards Steven’s house. They didn’t really need to inform the Gems that Connie was coming over. Even if Steven’s guardians didn’t particularly like Connie’s guardians, and didn’t talk about her mom, like, at all, they were perfectly fine with Connie, and had pretty much accepted by now that the two were best friends.  

“I can’t believe it,” Steven mourned, still thinking about the Cookie Cats. 

“Mm-hmm. Hey, any luck on the weapon summoning?”

“Nada,” Steven said glumly. “You?”

“Nope.”

They pushed open the door and yelped in shock. Steven’s home was crawling with little centipede-type monsters. 

“Ah, Connie! Nice to see you!” Pearl said, stabbing one. “Ack!” 

Another creature had crawled onto her head.

“I gotcha Pearl!” Amethyst called, summoning her whip. “Hiyah-oh, whoops.”

Her whip had actually just whacked Pearl in the face by accident. 

“Ugh,” Pearl muttered, rubbing her gem. 

Garnet pulled the creature off Pearl, poofed it, nodded to Steven and Connie, and punched another one in the face.   
The warp pad buzzed and in a flash, Peridot, Lapis, and Jasper appeared. 

“Connie, have you-oh dear,” Peridot said, taking in the sight. “Hup!”

Without another word, the three Gem warriors joined the fight. Jasper and Amethyst performed a double spin dash (Amethyst’s slightly bumpier) while Peridot plasma-blasted some of the smaller ones. 

“Sorry about that!” Lapis called, having accidently sprayed Peridot in the face with water likely intended for a monster, although her smirk suggested otherwise. 

Peridot glared at the blue gem and sighed. 

Steven and Connie watched in fascination as the six gems finished defeating the creatures. Lapis and Amethyst did a mock bow. 

“That was great!” Steven shouted. 

“Why thank you. All I ask in return is a donut,” Lapis said. 

Connie giggled and handed Lapis and Amethyst their donuts. Steven and his guardians squeezed on the couch and Connie and hers settled on some pillows on the floor. While Connie flopped down happily, Peridot, Lapis, and Jasper remained sitting as if on edge. Steven, recalling the disappearance of his treat of choice, slumped down.

“Ah yes, that reminds me!” Pearl said, snapping her fingers. “When we heard that your ice cream and cookies shaped vaguely like a basic cat head had been shut down, we went and-” 

“Stole a bunch,” Amethyst said.

“I paid,” Garnet said. 

Jasper rolled her eyes. 

Lapis snorted. 

Steven was already munching on a Cookie Cat, and when he heard the story, he laughed. His gem glowed in response, and the shimmer increased until….

“A shield! Steven, you summoned a shield!” Connie cried.

“I did!” Steven said. “I did?”  
The shield flickered and disappeared. 

“Aww…..” Connie said, disappointed. Her guardians, who had jumped at the appearance of the weapon, relaxed slightly, eyeing Steven with suspicion. 

“Maybe it was the ice cream,” Steven said, eyes wide. “Connie, try eating a Cookie Cat! Maybe you can do it too!” 

Connie rolled her eyes, paused, thought, and glanced hopefully at Peridot. 

“While I highly doubt that a small amount of concentrated, processed sugar, wheat, milk, ice, and flavoring arranged charmingly to resemble a cat could provide sufficient motivation to summon your weapon-which, based on Steven’s result, would most likely be a sword-you can certainly try.”

“Sure, go ahead,” Lapis summarized.

Connie smiled and bit in to the Cookie Cat.  _ Mmm _ .  

She tried her best to think happy thoughts, recall the Gems working perfectly together (a rare event, to be treasured), Steven grinning at her over donuts and  _ Unfamiliar Familiar,  _ that picture she had found in Greg's garage that she absolutely had to show Steven….

Connie opened one eye hopefully. 

“You almost had it for a moment!” Steven said happily. “You were really close!”

“Maybe it is the ‘Cookie’ ‘Cats’ that trigger your gem weapon summoning…” muttered Peridot, squinting at Connie as if trying to discrene a theory from her. “Will require further testing.”

Steven grinned at Connie. “Pearl, can I conduct further testing on these Cookie Cats too?”

Pearl sighed. “I suppose…”

“Let’s go,” Jasper said, standing. 

Connie frowned. 

“C’mon Con-Con, time to head back,” Lapis said, stretching. None of the Gems protested. 

Steven hugged Connie goodbye and with no further politenesses, the other half of the Crystal Gems were gone. 

“Bye, I guess,” Amethyst said to empty air. She sighed and kicked the couch. “Weirdos.”

Pearl slumped down on the couch. “Thank goodness that’s over.”

Steven turned to Garnet. “How did you get the Cookie Cats if they’re discontinued?”

Garnet only smiled, the corner of her glasses sparkling slightly. 


	2. Golden Gleam

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wooooow I haven't updated this in literally forever.  
> SO! The bad news is that I haven't updated this in literally forever and you've probably all forgotten about it by now. The GOOD news is that I have a much better handle on the story now and might actually update it again in LESS than a month!  
> Anyway here's ~~Wonderwall~~ the second half of the first story.

“Why’d we have to leave so abruptly?” Connie protested as the Gems arrived back at the temple that was their residence of choice. 

“Connie, you know how I feel about Steven’s guardians,” Peridot said. 

“Too much time around that stuck-up Pearl makes me itchy to punch something,” Lapis said.

“Pearl’s not that bad!” Connie said, but she knew it was a battle already lost long ago.

“Heads up,” Jasper said, pointing. A large bug-like thing, mostly green, like a larger version of the creatures at the barn, was making its way across the sand. 

Connie’s hand went to her gem. “It looks like...those things at Steven’s house.”

“Probably the mother,” Jasper said. She rolled into a ball and sped at the creature. 

“I just don’t get it,” Connie said, edging towards the beach house. “Why don’t you like Steven?”

“I have no problem with Steven,” Peridot said, shooting a plasma blast at the creature. “It’s his guardians I find...irritating.”

“Well, why do you find them that then?” Connie called, ducking out of the way as Lapis slapped the creature to the ground. 

Lapis sighed. “Listen, Con-Con. It’s great that you and Pinkie Pie are friends, but your mom and Steven’s mom were...maybe not as much friends. And the friend of my friend’s enemy is my enemy. Or something.”

Connie frowned, flinching slightly from the crash as Jasper rammed into the bug monster. “But...that doesn’t make sense!”

“Connie! Vacate the premises immediately!” Peridot yelled. 

Connie sighed and went inside. 

“It’s not  _ fair,” _ she muttered to herself, watching through the window as Lapis threw a watery glob at the creature and seemed surprised when this didn’t negate the acid. “Why shouldn’t I be allowed to hang out with Steven and his guardians just because Mom didn’t like Steven’s mother?” 

Unconsciously, she got up and began to pace the floor. “And how come I have to stay inside? How will I know how to react in a real battle if I never get to try my skills? And how come I can’t practice battle with Steven? Wouldn’t it be good for me to fight against someone at my skill level?”

She pivoted on her heel. “It just doesn’t make sense!” A humming sound was echoing from somewhere, but she wasn’t paying attention. “It’s just not  _ fair!” _

In a blast of light, Connie was holding a shining golden sword in her hand. Her eyes widened-it was perfectly balanced and seemed to fit her grip exactly right.

Unfortunately, she had been mid-angry spin and the momentum carried the sword straight out of her hand and out the window.

Connie winced as the window broke and there was a yell from outside, accompanied by a loud shriek that seemed both inhuman and all too human. 

“Connie?” yelled several voices.

“In here!” Connie called. 

“Was that  _ you _ ?” Lapis said wondrously, poking her head in through the broken window. “You messed that bug up!”

“Accidentally,” Connie said. 

“The sword has dematerialized!” Peridot exclaimed from outside, followed by “But the creature remains functioning, though weakened!” 

“I’m coming!” Lapis called, before turning back to Connie. “But seriously, good job, Con-Con.”

“Thanks,” Connie said, a grin creeping slowly across her face.

There was a loud slam and a bang from outside, but Connie barely noticed the Centipeedle’s defeat. She was busy planning how to summon her sword again. 

**Author's Note:**

> Next chapter: at Connie's residence, there's an attack and we find out a little bit more about the two halves of the Crystal Gems and why exactly they are halves at all.


End file.
